The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1887-02-05
Confession of a Murderer.

Edward Unger, who was arrested IN New
York city for the murder OF August Bohl,
whose body was found in trunk shipped to
Baltimore last week, has confessed his guilt.
He asserts that he was attacked by BOIL,
and killed him in self defence. He says that,
after cutting the body and packing it away in
the trunk, he wrapped up the head In some
of his victims clothing and dropped the
bundle from ferry boat into the river.
Following is the confession of Unger, made
last Saturday to Inspector Byrnes:
II live at No. - Ridge street. L have
known August BOIL since November, 1856.
| first met him at my saloon, No. "A Eldrdge
street, where he called in answer to an ad-
vertisement which l had put in the Stats
Zeitung for a partner. We could not agree
upon terms, and l subsequently gave up the
business at that number. | went to live at
% Ridge st. A short time afterwards August
came to live with me, the arrangement being
that he was to pay me half the rent, which
was 81. so per month, and one-third the house
hold expenses. On the night of January 20,
1887, after supper, my son Edward lett the
house, leaving BOIL and myself in the rooms.
We remained talking and reading until about
$50. BOIL was a powerful man and was
swearing about his hard luck. He called me
-, l told him | was no, and put my
hand up to shove him away. He then struck
me on the neck with his fist and knocked me
down. l sprang to my feet and attempted to
strike him with poker which | had in my
hand BOIL grabbed the poker from my
hand and at the same time he seized knife
from the table and ran after me. ran to the
bedroom He followed me. | picked up a
hammer from chest under the bed. He
made another lunge at me with the knife, and
| warded it off, receiving a slight cut in the
hand. | then struck him with the hammer.
He staggered, and | followed him up and
struck him again with the hammer, the ham,
mer sinking into the skull as far as the handle.
He staggered and fell back on the sofa dead.
This occurred about ten o'clock p. m. Ex
pecting my son home every moment, and to
avoid my son seeing what had happened, l
took the body from the sofa and put it on the
floor close by the wall | then took Bohls
sleeping cot and placed it on its side before
him, and, leaning it against the wall, covered
the ends with some clothes. My son soon
came home, and we went to bed together in the
bedroom.
"'Where's August?' he asked
"'He's gone out said |.
son Friday, January q, as soon as my boy
left the house for his work, went out to buy
a rubber bag to put the body in. l was I'M
able to get the bag, and bought two yards of
rubber cloth at so cents per yard. | bought
butchers saw for 80 cents. | drank much
whisky, and got back to the house at a. IN.
| spread the rubber cloth on the floor and laid
the body upon it. | then started to cut him
up. | first cut the head from the body, and
then laid it aside and wrapped it in paper
and part of his clothing. | then cut both
legs off, and, think, the left arm close to the
shoulder | then took Bohl's trunk. The
trunk was too short and cut off the feet and
put them in the trunk. l then put the body
on top of the legs, and think the arm on top
of the body. | took part of the clothes of the
deceased and some papers, wiped the floor
with them and put them on top of the body
in the trunk.
81 locked the trunk and dashed it with a
rope. | then left my house after cleaning up
the blood the best could, locking the door,
taking the head under my arm, which was
then wrapped up in clothing belonging to
BOIL, and also some newspapers. / went to
the Grand street ferry, went in the forward
part of the ferryboat, leaned over the front
railing looking into the water, and when the
boat got midway into the river dropped the
head and clothing into the water. | assume
that the paddle wheel struck it. then went
to the house of Henry Siegal, 205 Throop
avenue, and learning that Siegal was sick |
told his wife that August BOIL had gone to
Chicago the night before. then returned to
my house, arriving there about 3 o'clock in
the afternoon, and between and O. clock the
same day, and with the assistance of an Ital-
ian whom | met in the street and gave quar-
ter, | took the trunk to a saloon in Grand
street and asked permission to- leave it over
night. which was granted. | called for it on
rC'o c10S =. Q uai1lkck, brought it